Chasing Shadows
by DarkWaterAngel
Summary: Chapter 1. Kagome sat there, wathching as her mother ducked down as far as she could in her seat, until she felt a searing pain on her shoulder and temple. She screamed, and fell to the floor as more shots sounded...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Ms. Takahashi has that honor and if I had any money at all, I would try and convince her to sell it to me.  
  
Ch. 1  
  
Kagome sighed inwardly, as she bobbed her head to the beat of 'Sandstorm' currently playing on her CD player. 'Why do I have to go along with Mom to Jii-chan's to pick up Souta? She could have gone alone. It's not fair...' She thought.  
Kagome was a typical rebellious 19 year old girl. The last thing on Earth she wanted to do was to be stuck in the backseat of her mother's car on a perfectly good Saturday afternoon. She wanted to go to the mall with her friends, but noooo, she had to go along to pick up her annoying 13 year old brother, who spent the night at her insane grandfather's shrine.  
Sighing again, she propped her feet on the armrests in front of her, earning her a warning glance from her mother, who promptly knocked her feet back onto the floor. Scowling at her mother, Kagome took off one of the earpieces. "Why did I have to come?" She whined, asking the question that had been nagging her all morning.  
"Because." Her mother responded. Typical mom response...  
"Because why?" Kagome whined again.  
"Because Jii-chan hasn't seen you in a while, and he asked me to bring you. That's why." Another typical mom response.  
"Whatever." Kagome mumbled, putting her earpiece back on. Bored out of her mind, she switched the song to 'The Bongo Song' and stared out her window at the Japanese countryside that flew by the window. They were the only ones on this particular road, minus the black pickup yards behind them. Getting an idea, Kagome unbuckled her seatbelt, dug around in her backpack for her sketch book and a pencil, and flipped in her seat so she could draw the truck through the back window. Ignoring her mother's cry of irritation, she sketched the following truck down to every detail, including the outline of the driver through the tinted windows and the vehicle's license plate number. She always had an eye for detail. Her mom said it came from her deceased father's artistic talents. She remembered listening to her mom tell countless stories about how she and her father had met when he asked to sketch the 'pretty lady's' portrait. Getting lost in the memory, Kagome didn't expect her mother to slam on the brakes, only for a second, sending Kagome tumbling backwards onto the floor.  
"MOM!" Kagome yelled, ripping off her headphones, disheveled and severely pissed off.  
"I warned you, Kagome Higurashi." Her mother sighed, exhausted from her daughter's stubbornness. Another trait she had picked up from her father.  
"Yeah well, I couldn't hear you! And don't you think that was a little extreme?!?" Kagome growled. She began fuming again as she saw her mother smirk in the rearview mirror.  
"No." Yet another typical mom response.  
They were too distracted, arguing with each other that they didn't notice the truck until after the gunshot and their left front tire blew up.  
Her mother yelped as the smaller car swerved left, doing a 360 before coming completely to a stop. Clutching their seats for dear life, they watched a tall man wearing all black emerge from the truck stopped in front of them on the road.  
"Get down." Kagome's mom whispered as the unknown man raised a semiautomatic, level to the car. Kagome didn't move, frozen half by terror, half by fascination as she memorized the man's physique.  
"Get DOWN!" Her mother screamed as a shot shattered the windshield and embedded itself in the passenger seat, cloth and padding flying outward.  
Kagome sat there, watching as her mother ducked down as far as she could in her seat, still frozen, until another two shots sounded and Kagome felt a searing pain on her right temple and in her left shoulder. She screamed, and fell to the floor as more shots sounded. She held motionless until the sounds stopped, all but the sound of her sobbing, and the pain and darkness over took her.  
  
A.N.: Yes, Kagome is being awfully OOC. It's relevant to the plot. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha and I never will.  
  
Ch. 2  
  
"Hey, 'Yash. Chief just gave us another case." A tall man said to his partner lounging behind a desk.  
  
"What's it this time? A wannabe serial killer that left us clues everywhere, including his name spray painted on the wall next to the body as his 'calling card'?" The even taller man replied.  
  
"Don't I wish. Nah, this one's a drive-by shooting, leaving one dead and one witness, also a victim." The first man sighed, sitting on the corner of the desk.  
  
"God damnit! What are we? A bunch of rookie cops, or highly trained FBI agents?" 'Yash' growled, slamming his fist on the desk.  
  
"You'll like this case, my friend."  
"Why?"  
"Cause it's got Naraku's MO."  
"Really now...What's the vic's name?"  
"Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi."  
"Higurashi...Why does that name sound so familiar?"  
  
"Because she's the daughter of Toshima Higurashi, the famous painter and our boss' closest friend."  
  
"Oh. Right."  
  
"By the way, she's sitting in a chair right outside the room and if we don't get out there now, your brother, I mean, boss will have our asses."  
  
'Yash' walked out from behind his desk and followed his partner out the door to meet his latest 'walking crime scene'. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Normally, Kagome liked being left alone, but after sitting in the same hard, uncomfortable chair for 30 minutes, she began to fidget. Dragging her backpack out from under her seat, she pulled out her sketchbook, which had survived the 'accident', and began to sketch the people around the office. She was in the middle of drawing an old, short woman filing papers, when the door she was positioned by swung open with a bang, startling her so badly, she snapped her pencil in half. Muttering darkly, she dug in her bag for another one.  
  
"Are you Miss Higurashi?" A man standing next to her asked.  
  
Kagome refused to look up at him, her head halfway in her bag, still searching for a damn pencil. "Yeah." Came her muffled response. She suddenly felt a hand caressing the bare patch of skin created by her leaning over.  
  
"Will you bear my children?" The man asked, seemingly oblivious to her outraged expression as her head snapped up.  
  
"You...HENTAI!" She hollered, punching the man in the face, sending him reeling backwards into his partner standing behind him. Massaging her sore hand, she looked around after hearing applause coming from the women standing around the office. She turned and glared at the man, who was holding a handkerchief to his bleeding nose, and his partner who was chuckling loudly.  
  
"Well done, girl, well done." The man laughed, sizing up the woman in front of him.  
  
Kagome did the same. The man had long silver hair pulled back into a low ponytail, golden eyes the color of melted honey (which she suspected was color contacts) and was wearing a red button-up t-shirt and loose navy jeans. His lecherous friend, though, had shorter brown hair, also pulled back at the nape of his neck, deep purple eyes that Kagome suspected were also colored contacts, and wore black jeans, a purple button-up t-shirt, and a sort of glove, also purple, wrapped in a string of beads on his right hand. She didn't like either one of them. Not one bit.  
  
"Forgive me. I shouldn't have done that when we haven't been properly introduced." Kagome bit back a remark. "I'm Agent Miroku Hoshi. My friend here is Inuyasha Morimoto. We are..." Miroku stopped as Kagome burst into laughter.  
  
"Your last name is 'Priest'? What an oxymoron!" Kagome said between bouts of laughter. Inuyasha, too, began to chuckle. Miroku sniffed indignantly.  
  
"She's right. You couldn't be further from a priest." Inuyasha chuckled, smacking his friend on the back, sending him crashing into Kagome's chest. Head first.  
Miroku tried to stammer an apology as Kagome's face became increasingly red. Inuyasha ducked, covering his head, knowing just what was going to happen.  
  
"You...you...PEVERTED PERVERT!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, punching Miroku again, sending him flying over Inuyasha's head and into the opposite wall. She grabbed her bag and sketchbook, and stormed off down the hall. Cursing darkly, she prepared for the worst as a strong hand caught her arm. She spun around only to be facing not Miroku, but Inuyasha.  
  
"Let me go." She ground out.  
  
"Sorry, no can do. I have specific orders not to let you leave." Inuyasha said. Kagome growled in frustration. He took the opportunity to size her up again. Her left arm was in a sling, a bandage showing itself just past the short sleeve of the t-shirt, which was a dark blue midriff with a low neckline. Seeing this, he could understand her anger at Miroku. Moving on, he took in her low rise-dark blue jeans and the bandage, stained a dark red over her right temple, that wound its way through her waist length brown hair, pulled back into a high ponytail. She had fair skin, not pale but not tan either, and blue eyes that screamed defiance. Everything about her was defiant, from the way she glared at him to the way she clung to her sketchbook. She was one rebellious chick, and she wasn't afraid to show it.  
  
Kagome was about to tell him off again, when a pair of small arms snaked around Inuyasha's neck, yanking him backwards and making him release her. Inuyasha swung around, to reveal a young girl clinging tightly to his back.  
  
"Some help, please?" He asked politely, his face starting to turn blue from lack of oxygen. Kagome, reluctantly, obliged and pried the girl off him. As soon as she set her feet on the floor, the girl flung her self at the older man again.  
  
"Uncle Inu, Uncle Inu! Can you guess what today is?" The girl squealed, clinging to her uncle's chest.  
  
"Let's see...Is today the last day of school?" Inuyasha joked, swinging the girl back and forth gently.  
  
"Nope." The girl giggled.  
"How about your cousin's Shippou's birthday?"  
"No!" She squealed, laughing as her uncle tossed her into the air.  
  
"I know! Today's my favorite niece, Rin's, 10th birthday, isn't it?" Inuyasha laughed, catching his niece and spinning her in a circle.  
  
"Right!" The girl responded, looking expectantly at her uncle.  
  
Inuyasha pulled a small set of lock picks out of his back pocket. "Don't tell your father, ok?" He whispered, handing the set to the girl, who squealed in delight.  
  
"Oooo! Thank you, Uncle Inu! I won't tell." Rin exclaimed, giving Inuyasha a kiss on the cheek. She scampered off down the hall, drawing his attention back to the woman standing behind him.  
  
"Cute kid. She really your niece?" Kagome smirked, the girl's hyper- ness catching. "Cause you don't look old enough to be an uncle."  
  
"Yeah. She's my brother's. He's a lot older than me." Inuyasha grinned back. The girl was a lot prettier when she was smiling, he noticed.  
  
"Uncle Inu? Daddy wants to see you and Miroku. And he says to bring the lady, too." Rin called from a door down the hall.  
  
Inuyasha flinched and motioned Miroku to follow. He guided Kagome down the hall, with his hand pushing her in the small of her back.  
  
"Man, this can't be good..." Miroku sighed, his hand still holding his handkerchief to his nose. Kagome was instantly worried, thus irritated, and she bristled angrily as she followed the men.  
  
Rin held the office door open and grinned innocently at the adults that passed her. Once they were inside, Rin abandoned the door and scampered off to find someone to play with.  
  
The interior of the office was dark, and Kagome struggled to see the figure reclining behind the desk.  
  
"Trying to intimidate our vic, eh bro?" Inuyasha sighed, flicking on the switch on the wall next to him.  
  
"For your information, no. I wanted to see if she resembled my dear late friend.' A man who looked very similar to Inuyasha, but older and more powerful looking, stated.  
  
Kagome bristled visibly. "For your information..." She was cut off by Inuyasha's hand.  
  
"Now, what impression are you trying to make? That of a creepy FBI agent who likes sitting in the dark?" Miroku questioned.  
  
The man strode from his desk and stopped in front of Kagome. "My name's Sesshomaru Morimoto, head of the FBI Unit Four Souls. And a close friend of your father's." He said, holding out his hand.  
  
Kagome cocked and eyebrow and eyed the extended hand, but ignored it and crossed her arms in front of her. "You knew my dad?" Her eyebrow went up even higher when he nodded. "How?" She asked, suddenly curious.  
  
"That's not important right now. Right now, we need to discuss your little...mishap." Sesshomaru said, withdrawing his hand and returning to his desk. Kagome bristled again. 'Hmm...she's got a temper, just like her dad.' Sesshomaru noted as Inuyasha had to restrain her again.  
  
"So, I hear you 'slugged' one of my best agents, twice. Is that true?" Sesshomaru asked, grinning slightly.  
  
"He provoked me!" Kagome defended, the realization of her actions just hitting her. She hit a government agent, twice! What kind of punishment would she get for that?  
  
"Good for you. Miroku's been asking for a good bloody nose for a while now." Sesshomaru chuckled, completely shocking the other three.  
  
"But..." Both Kagome and Miroku started.  
  
"That's precisely why I'm assigning you two to Kagome's case. Inuyasha as her bodyguard and Miroku as the analysis expert."  
  
"WHAT?" Kagome, Inuyasha, and Miroku yelled.  
"I'm no bodyguard!" Inuyasha roared.  
"I don't need one!" Kagome retaliated.  
"Okay." Miroku said calmly. Both Kagome and Inuyasha glared at him.  
  
"It's that attitude that convinces me to also assign Sango to your group." Sesshomaru nodded, and as if on cue, a woman no older than Kagome entered the room.  
  
"Sir, what did Rin mean by I was working with the letch?" Sango asked, oblivious to the others standing there.  
  
"Exactly that. You're working with Miroku and Inuyasha on their case." Sesshomaru stated. Sango opened her mouth to argue. "I'm your boss, all of you, and don't forget this. Unless you want your next check to come from the unemployment office?" All three agents shook their head.  
  
"So what's her role?" Kagome asked sourly. She didn't like being coddled or protected.  
  
"She will be defense, mainly from Miroku, and the lab tech." Was the reply.  
  
"Great. I'm gonna be followed around by the FBI, Federal Bureau of Idiots." Kagome sighed dejectedly. 'Minus the chick. It'll be nice to not be overwhelmed by testosterone...' She added mentally. She earned glares from the mention three.  
  
"She's gonna be a handful, guys." Sesshomaru chuckled, and then turned serious. "Take care of her, for Toshima."  
  
"Oh, goody." The group sighed, finally being dismissed. This was gonna be one long case...  
  
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A.N.: ::Cowers from angry IY fans:: I'm sorry! I had to kill Kagome's mom! It was needed for the plot! Forgive me! Or you can flame me in your review... ::hopes the subliminal message got across:: I want to thank The Great Susinko and Geminia for being my first reviewers. Thanks guys!!! Oh and yes, I know everyone is OOC, but it'll get better, minus Kag's temper, stubbornness and art ability. And Inu's soft spot for kids... 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still don't own Inuyasha. Nope.  
  
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Chapter 3  
  
One hour later, the group was sitting in a little hole-in-the-wall café, talking about their new case.  
  
"So what's the story? What happened?" Sango asked Kagome, but was ignored.  
  
"The vic, Kagome here, was driving with her mom yesterday morning on her way to her grandfather's place. The mystery vehicle came up behind them on the road and..." Inuyasha began, shooting a glance at Kagome next to him.  
  
"Excuse me, but if you're going to debrief her, you might as well do it right." Kagome coughed, earning a glare from Inuyasha. "It was 2 in the afternoon. My mom was driving and I was sitting in the backseat, listening to music. I got bored, so I decided to sketch some of the surrounding countryside. That's when I saw the truck. It was an import, a 1996 black Sedan pickup, I think. Instead of drawing some lame trees, I sketched it instead. Well, my mom, pissed that I wasn't sitting down, slammed on the brakes and I fell to the floor." Kagome paused to glare at a laughing Inuyasha.  
  
"Anyway, we started arguing, when the damn truck drove up next to us and blew out our front tire. Then it stopped in the road in front of us and a guy got out. I remember his physique, but not his face. Anyway, he pulled out a semiautomatic and started blasting the hell out of our car. That's how I got these." Kagome said, indicating her bandages.  
  
"That's how my mom ended up dead. That dirty bastard blew her to bits." She growled, her eyes stinging with unshed tears, but she wasn't about to cry in front of big shot FBI agents.  
  
"Hmm...Black truck, deserted road, car turned into Swiss cheese. Yep, sounds like Naraku, or one of his goons." Miroku hummed, scratching his chin in thought.  
  
"You said you remembered what he looked like? Can you describe him?" Sango asked, leaning forward on the table.  
  
"Oh, I can do better than that." Kagome said, a bitter grin spreading across her face. She reached into her bag and pulled out her sketchbook.  
  
"Never go anywhere without it." She said, flipping to a clean page. As she sketched, she would mumble to herself, erasing or adding a detail.  
  
"Oi, why don't you just tell us what her looked like?" Inuyasha complained, antsy for her to finish.  
  
"Because I describe things better visually, rather than verbally." Kagome answered dryly, not even glancing up from her picture. Closing her eyes and chewing on her pencil in concentration, she double-checked her sketch. Satisfied with it, she flipped the book around and handed it over to Sango, who studied it closely.  
  
"The dude looks familiar." Sango mumbled, handing the book back to its owner.  
  
"Hey! Let me see it!" Inuyasha complained, trying to grab it out of Kagome's hands. She yanked it out of his reach.  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not? I'm in charge of this case!" He growled. This girl was really beginning to piss him off.  
  
"Because I don't like you." She retaliated and glared pointedly at Miroku. "I don't like you either. And I sure as hell don't trust you."  
  
Sango laughed, as Inuyasha made another dive for the sketchbook. Kagome pulled it away again. "Watch out, Inu. She might bite."  
  
"I will, too." Kagome growled, baring her teeth at him and snapping at his reaching hand. Sango laughed harder.  
  
Inuyasha pulled his hand back just in time. "Damn, you're a violent bitch."  
  
"Damn right! And excuse me if this book happens to contain my favorite sketch of my mom, drawn by my dad. I don't want your greasy hands all over it!" Kagome yelled and stood up suddenly, grabbing her bag and storming off, knocking over Inuyasha's Coke, which spilled into his lap, in the process.  
  
Inuyasha jumped up, fanning himself, and glared at the girl retreating to the bar. Sango rushed after the distressed Kagome. "It's a good thing I didn't order coffee." Inuyasha mumbled to no one in particular.  
  
"Yes, my friend. It's definitely a good thing." Miroku chuckled, patting his friend's shoulder. "It's a shame someone so pretty is so aggressive, and suffering." Inuyasha snorted and followed Miroku over to where the girls were.  
  
"Small beer." Kagome ordered, watching Sango approach out of the corner of her eye. "Is that Inu dude always such an ass?" She asked as Sango sat on a bar stool next to her.  
  
"Sure. When he's not with his niece, or his own kid. Gimme what she's having." Sango ordered as the bartender passed her. She blinked in shock as a beer was placed in front of her.  
  
"Um, Miss Higurashi..." Sango began, turning in her seat only to see Kagome down the majority of hers in one gulp. "Um, you're 19, right?"  
  
"Yeah, so? What are you 20?" Kagome said, finishing the last of her drink and turned to face Sango.  
  
"Actually, I'm 19 also." Sango laughed, sipping her drink.  
  
"So what are the bozos?" Kagome asked, thumbing in the guys direction, and motioned for another beer.  
  
"Both 20. Why?"  
  
"Because he doesn't seem like the married, or fatherly, type. And call me Kagome." She responded, taking a sip of her fresh beer.  
  
"I'm not married, and he's not mine. His parents were friends of mine, but they were killed by a psychopath that's still wandering around. The kid had no living relatives, so I took him in." Inuyasha said, sitting on the other side of Kagome. "You shouldn't be drinking that." He added as an after thought.  
  
Kagome downed her beer and glared at him, daring him to say anything. When he didn't, she said, "What an oddly compassionate thing for an egotistical ass to do."  
  
"Can we get going, please?" Miroku whined, eager to get working.  
  
"Good idea. We need to get started on this." Inuyasha replied, getting up.  
  
"Can we stop at my grandfather's? I want to let him know I'm alright." Kagome asked Sango, grabbing her things and waking away.  
  
"Sure." Sango said, leading Kagome out of the café.  
  
"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled, sulking when he was completely ignored.  
  
"Just give it up. They've won, and they always will..." Miroku sighed, following the girls out, leaving an annoyed Inuyasha behind to pay for the drinks.  
  
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A.N: Well there's another chapter folks. Just be sure to review, and I'll keep updatin' daily, or close to that. Ciao, until next time! *DarkWaterAngel* 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: ::Jabs at lawyers with a pointy stick:: Back! Back evil fiends! I don't own Inuyasha, alright!?! Now back off! ::sighs as the lawyers leave::  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"So where does your grandfather live anyway?" Inuyasha asked approaching his car, and the girls standing next to it. He saw Miroku a little ways off, trying to hit on another girl. Shaking his head, he unlocked the passenger side doors and circled the car. Kagome opened the backdoor and slid into the seat.  
  
"Three hours south of Tokyo." She replied, and then added to Miroku, who was trying to get in back next to her. "No way. Sit up front, you perv."  
  
Miroku jumped back as her foot lashed out at him. "But Inu drives like a complete maniac. He'll kill me!"  
  
"Would you rather have him kill you, or me?" Kagome asked in a frighteningly innocent way. "Good choice." She said as Miroku hesitantly climbed in front. Sango said nothing as she climbed in the car, just shook her head.  
  
15 minutes later, both Kagome and Sango were getting very pissed at the two men fighting over what station to listen to on the radio.  
  
"Rock!" Inuyasha yelled, smacking Miroku's hand away.  
  
"Pop! The singers are much cuter!" Miroku replied, switching to a J- Pop station.  
  
"Rock!"  
"Pop!"  
"Rock!"  
"Pop!"  
  
"God damnit! Just listen to a CD already!" Sango yelled, sticking her head between the seats.  
  
"Fine! We'll listen to Led Zepplin." Inuyasha snorted, reaching for said CD.  
  
"Hikaru Utada!"  
"Zepplin!"  
"Hikaru!"  
  
"Oh, shut the hell up already." Kagome hollered, and stuck her CD in the car's CD player.  
  
"Oi, what was that?" Inuyasha asked, looking at a furious Kagome in the rearview mirror. His eyes went wide as techno came out of the speakers. "What the fuck?! I don't want to listen to this!"  
  
"Too bad. And don't you dare touch it." Was the response.  
  
"Actually, this isn't too bad. Turn up the bass, Miroku." Sango said, Miroku nodding in agreement.  
  
"...Keh."  
  
"Bless you." Kagome said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, receiving a growl from Inuyasha and laughter from Sango and Miroku. "What?"  
  
"He always says that when he knows he lost an argument, but doesn't want to admit it." Miroku laughed.  
  
"Oh, I see. Well, 'Meh' right back at you." Kagome said dismissively. "That's my word for 'I win'."  
  
Sango tapped Kagome on the shoulder. When she turned to look at her, she said, "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Agent Sango Hiraikotsu, age 19; one kid brother, Kohaku, age 13; and one demon cat, Kirara."  
  
"Kagome Higurashi, age 19; one annoying brother, also 13; an insane grandfather and one extremely fat cat, Buyo. Parents, Toshima and Kiri, both deceased." Kagome said, rattling off her stats, shocked it was so easy.  
  
"My parents are dead, too. Murdered, actually." Sango said bitterly.  
  
"By who? Sorry, you don't have to answer..." Kagome asked, suddenly saddened by the other girl's news.  
  
"It's alright. You should know. The were murdered buy the same bastard that killed your mom." Sango sighed, then added in her head, 'And your Dad.' She knew all about Kagome and her unknown tragic past. She also knew everyone in the car had something in common, but she was going to keep that little tidbit of info to herself for now.  
  
"Miss Higurashi," Miroku said trying to break the oppressive mood, "what's this song called?"  
  
"Water Rave. It's one of my favorites, mainly because of the creative combination of classical violins and techno." Kagome smiled. "Please, call me Kagome. Just Kagome. 'Miss Higurashi' sounds so...old." She said, making a face.  
  
One hour later, everyone had fallen into a comfortable silence, the only noise was the techno coming from the speakers, and the occasional tapping of Inuyasha's fingers against the steering wheel during a particularly good song. Miroku had settled down in his seat, propping his feet up on the dashboard, and let out a soft snore every once in a while. Sango had also dosed off, drawing her knees up and was using the window as a pillow. Kagome, as tired as she was (she hadn't slept very well after the shooting), was extremely restless, often switching her attention from the scenery outside to Inuyasha's red hat poking into sight over his seat, and back again.  
  
"You still awake?" Inuyasha asked, looking in the mirror to see Kagome staring out her window.  
  
"Yeah." She sighed, meeting his gaze then looking over at the sleeping two. "It makes me jealous that they can just sleep like that."  
  
"I'm not sure about Sango, but Miroku can sleep through anything." He chuckled.  
  
"The way he's laying there sure looks uncomfortable." Kagome said, shaking her head at Miroku, who had shifted in his seat so he now faced Inuyasha and Kagome. "Watch, we stop somewhere and he be whining about all those kinks he's gonna get." She chuckled.  
  
"Nah. He never gets kinks, even if he sleeps in the space under his desk. And believe me, he's done it, too." Inuyasha laughed.  
  
"Why don't you draw something, if you're so bored?" He suggested. The only response he got was the sound of her rustling through her bag.  
  
Kagome slid over in her seat. "Can I draw you?"  
  
Inuyasha jumped. "Why?" He asked, looking at her.  
  
Kagome only shrugged. Inuyasha's eyebrow shot up, but he nodded. Kagome grinned and started immediately. The feel of her gaze and the sound of the pencil moving across the paper made Inuyasha squirm, and was very glad when she finally turned her attention to the two sleeping agents.  
  
When her drawings were done, Kagome slid back into her seat and re- buckled with a yawn. After tucking her sketchbook into her bag, she settled into her seat, careful of her arm, and dosed off.  
  
Inuyasha looked in the mirror, and grinned when he saw her curled up against the arm rest, sleeping. He then shook his head and removed his hat, triangular ears twitching in relief. He absently scratched an ear as he pondered over the case and his new charge.  
  
Kagome was dreaming peacefully about her childhood before both of her parents' deaths, when she woke to someone shaking her good shoulder. Lazily, she swatted the hand away, and growled sleepily as the person resumed their shaking. Cracking an eye open, she saw a fuzzy peach dot surrounded by white and capped in red. Yawning as she sat up, she rubbed her eyes several times, trying to get them to focus.  
  
"Where are we?" She yawned, blinking at Inuyasha.  
  
"At a gas station about half an hour away from your grandfather's town." Inuyasha replied.  
  
Kagome unbuckled and got out of the car. "Why are we here?"  
  
"Mainly three reasons. One, Miroku woke up complaining about how sore he was." Kagome laughed. "Two, Sango had to take care of some, um, business. And three, I thought we could all needed to stretch our legs a bit." Inuyasha said, watching Kagome stretch, and turn this way and that.  
  
"Yep. I definitely needed to get out of that car for a while." Kagome said, wincing as a muscle twinged in her back. Rubbing the spot fiercely, she turned towards the gas station's building and began walking.  
  
"Where are you going?" Inuyasha called.  
  
"To find Sango. I really shouldn't of had all those extra drinks." Kagome called back. Inuyasha laughed and watched her walk away.  
  
He took off his hat and scratched his ears again, his ears twitching as he heard someone behind him. "Don't even think about it, Houshi."  
  
"Man, you and those damn ears ruin all my fun." Miroku sighed, recapping his water bottle. "Speaking of ears, does she know about them yet?"  
  
"Nope. And if I can help it she never will." Inuyasha replied, putting his hat back on. 'I don't want her running from me like everyone else..." He added, thinking. Both men turned when they heard the girls call them.  
  
Sango and Kagome were walking towards them, Sango lagging slightly behind. "Come on, Sango." Kagome said, turning to look at the lagging girl. Kagome froze as something very hot passed her temple and exploded in the dirt in front of her. She squeaked in surprise as a red and white blur tackled her to the ground. Inuyasha quickly stood up, pulled a gun out of the waistband of his jeans and fired four shots into the woods behind them. Everyone was silent as they heard an unmistakable 'thump' about five yards into the woods.  
  
"Stay here. Miroku, come on." Inuyasha ordered, and stalked off.  
  
"Are you alright, Kagome?" Sango asked shakily, kneeling besides the stunned girl. She recoiled in surprise when she saw Kagome's pale face and blank, yet tear-filled, eyes.  
  
"They tried to kill me, didn't they?" Kagome asked, the tears spilling over. She gave Sango a panicked look. "Didn't they?!?"  
  
"It's alright now. Inuyasha got him, so don't worry." Sango hushed, trying to calm the shaking and sobbing girl.  
  
"Is she okay?" Miroku asked, tucking a photo into his pocket.  
  
"No, I'm not. I was just shot at, for God's sake!" Kagome said, quickly wiping her eyes and hiding her face.  
  
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Inuyasha got the guy. The guy's dead as a doornail." Miroku sighed, helping Kagome off the ground, who quickly dusted off her pants, incase Miroku decided to do it for her.  
  
"The bullet's up there." Sango said, pointing to a small crater. Miroku nodded, and bent over to pick up with a small plastic and stuck that in his pocket, too.  
  
"Clean up crew's on their way." Inuyasha said, closing a cell phone and stuffing it into his pocket.  
  
"Clean up crew?" Kagome echoed, utterly confused.  
  
"A medical team reserved for the removal of bodies. A very discrete group, and very good at their job." Sango responded.  
  
"Would you stop it?" Kagome half growled, half sighed to Inuyasha, who was circling her to check for injuries. "They missed, alright? I'm not hurt, well at least not anymore than I already am..."  
  
"I'm just checking. It's my job to make sure you stay alive." Inuyasha paused, suddenly looking guilty. "I'm sorry you almost got shot. I wasn't paying close enough attention."  
  
Kagome grinned then frowned quickly. "You better be sorry! I almost died. Again! Humph, some body guard you are..." She said, before walking to the car.  
  
Inuyasha's face turned from surprise to anger. He hadn't seen the grin, or he would have caught the sarcasm in her remark. "Oi, I said I was sorry. What do want me to do, grovel?" He yelled, stalking after her, leaving Miroku and Sango behind.  
  
Both agents shook their heads and followed the bickering couple. 'There they go again...' 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, okay?  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"Update, agent." A mysterious man ordered, his face hidden in the shadows of the dimly lit room.  
  
"Manten failed, my Lord. The hanyou interfered." A thin man responded, bowing. Grief saturated his voice.  
  
"Dead?"  
  
"Yes, my Lord. We did not find his body, but we did find his blood on the grass under his post."  
  
"Hmm...very well. Send out Kanna. She'll get the job done."  
  
"Yes, my Lord."  
  
"Turn left at the next road." Kagome said, leaning over the seats, pointing out directions. "Now, turn right. The shrine's two blocks down the street."  
  
"Right." Miroku said, following her directions.  
  
Inuyasha sat, brooding, in the passenger seat. Kagome had refused to get in the car until Inuyasha had agreed to let Miroku drive (Inuyasha had called her some really nasty names and made Kagome very pissed). Both were still angry and still weren't talking to each other.  
  
Kagome squealed happily as Miroku came to a stop in front of the shrine steps. She scrambled out of the car and waited, impatiently, for the others to follow. A few days ago, she would have gladly stayed in the car, but now she was glad to be able to see her grandfather and brother. Hell, she was glad to still be alive.  
  
She bound up the steps and dashed into the shrine house. "Jii-chan!" She wailed, flinging her arms the old man sweeping out the leaves and dust.  
  
"K-Kagome? You're alright!" Kagome's grandfather chocked out, enveloping his granddaughter in a fierce hug.  
  
"I'm fine, it's just a few cuts and bruises. Where's Souta?" Kagome asked, searching for her little brother.  
  
"He's in the house Oh, it's so good to see you. We were so worried; Souta hasn't touched his video games since we got word of the accident. Why don't you go see him? Maybe that will cheer him up." Jii-chan said, squeezing Kagome once more, and then releasing her. She nodded and walked over to the house, joined by Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha.  
  
"Souta?" Kagome called out, stepping into the house.  
  
A faint 'Nee-chan' was heard before a brown-haired blur dashed down the stairs and threw itself at Kagome, knocking her flat. All three agents blinked in surprise to see the blur turn into a 13-year-old boy clinging tightly to Kagome's chest.  
  
"Nee-chan! You're alive!" The boy cried.  
  
"Souta, I'm fine. Or at least I will be if you let go so I can breathe again." Kagome gasped out, trying to pry her brother off of her.  
  
He finally let go, and helped Kagome to her feet. He hugged her again and looked up at his sister, who was a good five inches taller than him. "Sorry, I was just so worried about you!"  
  
Kagome smiled as she ruffled his hair. "I know you were, Squirt. I missed you, too."  
  
"Hey...Who are they?" Souta asked, peering around his sister's arm.  
  
"They're friends of mine. Souta, meet Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha. They'll be sticking around for a while." Kagome said.  
  
Souta bounced over to Inuyasha. "Do you play video games?" He asked hopefully.  
  
"Sure. Me and Miroku are the best." Inuyasha gloated, puffing out his chest as Souta beamed up at him.  
  
"Awesome! Come and check out this new game I got from Jii-chan." Souta cheered, grabbing Inuyasha and Miroku by the sleeves and dragged them off.  
  
Kagome shook her head. "Great. Now they'll be playing for hours."  
  
"Well at least they'll be out of our hair for a while." Sango laughed/  
  
Kagome grinned and leaned against the kitchen counter. "It's been a long time since I was last here. Three years..." Kagome sighed. "I grew up here, with my mom and dad, Souta and Jii-chan, and of course Buyo. Well, my dad died when I was three, but I still remember him. Then, when I turned 16, my mom got a job in the city..." She trailed off, staring into space. Sango watched as a myriad of emotions flickered across the other girl's face. Kagome jumped when she felt someone squeeze her shoulder. She turned to see Sango, who gave her a sympathetic smile, and smiled weakly back.  
  
"Kagome?" Jii-chan called from outside.  
  
Kagome stuck her head out the kitchen window. "Yeah?"  
  
"Seeing how I'm busy right now, could you make dinner?" Jii-chan asked.  
  
"Ugh. Fine." Kagome sighed. She turned to Sango and said, "He always does that. He can't cook well, so he makes others do it when they visit." She paused. "How many of us are there?"  
  
"Six. Need some help?" Sango grinned at Kagome's shocked face.  
  
"Please? All I can make is stir fry and Ramen." She pleaded.  
  
"Ramen's fine!" Inuyasha called from the other room. Kagome looked, stunned, in the direction of his voice. Sango laughed in response. Kagome shook her head, and went to get packs of Ramen out of a cabinet.  
  
Inuyasha sighed happily as he pushed his empty bowl away.  
  
"Five bowls, Inu. Five. You never cease to amaze me." Miroku sighed, shaking his head.  
  
"Wow." Souta breathed, watching his new hero intently.  
"That was...gross..." Kagome shuddered, pushing away her almost- empty bowl.  
  
"You'll get used to it." Miroku and Sango said in unison.  
  
"You know, since girls made dinner..." Sango started, getting an evil glint in her eyes, and grinned at the guys.  
  
Kagome caught on quickly. "Guys do the dishes." She finished, smirking.  
  
"What?!?" Miroku, Inuyasha, and Souta all yelped.  
  
"Nee-chan! That's not fair!" Souta whined.  
  
"Sure it is." Kagome responded.  
  
"Well, ahem, I guess I'll leave you to it..." Jii-chan coughed before dashing out of the house.  
  
"Jii-chan..." Kagome sighed, getting up from her seat to retrieve the old man. She stopped mid-step when she heard a yelp from out in the yard.  
  
"Where do think you're going, old man? She said 'guys' do dishes, and that includes you." Inuyasha scowled, carrying in Kagome's grandfather by the back of his robes, and set him back down at the table.  
  
"It will get done faster if you help us, sir." Miroku added.  
  
"Hmm...fine. But only if I dry." Jii-chan said, crossing his arms in front of him.  
  
"Dry and put away." Miroku responded, taking on a negotiating manner.  
  
"Dry."  
"Rinse and dry."  
"Dry!"  
  
"Alright then, how about you don't do none of it?" Miroku smirked.  
  
Kagome's grandfather paused a moment, considering. "Deal!" He nodded and shook Miroku's hand.  
  
"Cool. Come on guys, let's go outside." Miroku said, standing up and walked away with everyone else.  
  
"W-wait! Where are you going?!" Jii-chan yelled after them.  
  
"Double negative, Gramps. You just agreed to do it all!" Inuyasha called back, giving Miroku a high five.  
  
"One of the perks of being a FBI agent is you can talk your way out of anything." Miroku whispered to Kagome, who laughed in return.  
  
"Inuyasha! Catch!" Souta called, tossing a basketball to Inuyasha, who caught it and shot it in the basket. "Woah! Cool! How'd you do that?"  
  
Kagome and Sango sat on the porch and watch the guys play a 2-on-1 game, with Souta and Inuyasha on one team, and Miroku on the other. Miroku was currently losing, badly.  
  
"I resign. You've got me beat." Miroku gasped, sprawling on the ground.  
  
"Well, duh! He's Inuyasha!" Souta said, cheering on his hero.  
  
"Careful, Squirt. His ego is already too big for his head." Kagome called, laughing lightly.  
  
"What did you say?" Inuyasha growled, spinning on his heels and began stalking towards her.  
  
"You heard me, baka." Kagome growled back, getting to her feet.  
  
Inuyasha was about to pounce when Kagome squeaked and pointed up over his shoulder. He spun around, unconsciously preparing to fight, and saw a giant demon cat with fire curling around its body begin to descend into the yard. Relaxing, he walked over to Sango, who was waiting for the cat to land.  
  
"Hey, Kirara." He said, scratching behind one of the cat's ears.  
  
"'Sup, Yash?" A boy asked as he dismounted from Kirara's back.  
  
"Hey, Kohaku. What are you doing here?" Inuyasha grinned, giving the kid a noogie, who squirmed out from under his arm before he could do too much damage.  
  
"Your brother told me you guys were on a case, so I decided to drop by and see how it was going." Kohaku shrugged, trying, vainly, to get his hair to stop sticking up at weird angles.  
  
Miroku, followed by Kagome, joined the group. "Weren't you supposed to be watching..." He started, but stopped as a copper-colored ball of fir launched itself at Inuyasha's head.  
  
"Shippou!" Inuyasha yelled, trying to dislodge the fir ball from his head. He succeeded, but ended up lifting his hat as well. He quickly yanked it back on his head, but not before Kagome caught a glimpse of something twitching on his head, immediately triggering her curiosity.  
  
"What have I told you about jumping on me?" Inuyasha growled, holding up a 5-year-old kid with copper hair, bright green eyes, and a fluffy tail that matched his hair.  
  
Kagome momentarily forgot about the thing under Inuyasha's hat as she looked at the child clinging to Inuyasha. "How cute!" She squealed, scooping the child into her arms.  
  
"This is Shippou, my adoptive son. He's the fox demon kit who's parents were my friends." Inuyasha said, eying Kagome cooing to Shippou, who was happily accepting all the attention.  
  
Kagome looked up. "Fox demon? So his tail is real?"  
  
"Yep. See, I can wiggle it." Shippou piped up, shaking his tail side-to- side.  
  
Kagome giggled. "Hi Shippou. I'm Kagome."  
  
"Hi!" Shippou grinned, then climbed out of her arms and on her injured shoulder.  
  
"Oi, brat. Don't climb all over her. She's hurt." Inuyasha growled, suddenly feeling possessive, and pulled Shippou off Kagome. Shippou yelped, protesting leaving his comfy perch, and began to flail his tiny limbs. Inuyasha avoided his attempts at freedom, until a particularly strong swing of Shippou's arm knock his hat off his head. Before he could register what happened, the hat fell to the ground. His eyes snapped from the hat to Kagome, and saw her standing there, staring at the ears that now visibly poked out of his head. 'Oh, crap..." 


End file.
